aaron and eun are off this morning. the 'skins, this is pretty nice to say. they're the nfc east champions. wow. fans are celebrating like it's 1999. that's the last time the team won the division. even sweeter, they did it by beating dallas. along the way, one of the team's rookie sensations set a major milestone. everything you need to know to get you ready for next week's playoff game in just a few moments. we're also following another major story this morning. we're no longer counting the days but the hoursntil we reach the fiscal cliff. congress goes back to work in a few hours. at the last minute, the vice president is getting involved. we're going to have the latest on those talks ahead. right now, at 6:00, here it is. already 2013 in auckland, new zealand. this is a live look there right now. they are the first to ring in this new year. >> exciting. >> very exciting.

happy new year. >> happy new year to you too and everyone out there in new zealand. >> beautiful fireworks. it's 6:00, 6:01. it's pretty chilly here. if you have to go to work this morning, bundle up for your commute. storm team 4 meteorologist veronica johnson has the forecast. >> bundle up for sure. the current temperatures there. but look at the windchill readings. they're 5, 6, 7 degrees lower than the actual air temperature. it's not taking much. only a wind of 5 to 10 miles per hour. for this area now, it's a westerly wind. again, it's bringing the numbers down. sandy spring windchill reading at 22 degrees. east into prince george's county, around largo, you're feeling like 23. 21 right now the windchill reading in fairfax city and falls church. a cold one indeed this morning. 30 degrees under a partly cloudy sky. later today, we're going to see more clouds moving in. these will be high clouds. so today we'll be getting filtered sunshine throughout the

area. as far as your forecast goes, here we go, folks. 32 degrees at 8:00 a.m. it will be cold. cool conditions by 10:00, 11:00 a.m. your temperature of 39 degrees. 46 the high. not too bad. but we could pick up a sprinkle for your late afternoon, evening hours. even around midnight. which should be around 39. let's get a look at first 4 traffic again with alexis davies. >> thank you, veronica. still tracking breaking news involving a tractor-trailer northbound 28. we've got three right lanes blocked right now due to the accident. left lanes are getting by. traveling elsewhere on the roadways, maryland beltway is running very smoothly right now. no incidents reported as you travel through montgomery county. we have a live look now here at university boulevard and the beltway there. running very nicely. checking -- travel times actually, 95 to 270 is an 11-minute ride to the spur. richard, erika? thank you so much, alexis. the redskins magical season will

continue for at least another week. >> the burgundy and gold are heading to the playoffs thanks to a thrilling win to the cowboys. the redskins rookies, they were the big story. they accounted for all 28 of the 'skins points. alfred morris rushed for 200 yards and three touchdowns. robert griffin iii rushed for a touchdown too. this is the redskins first division title since 1999. >> this is a special year for us, we went out and we were 3-6. we won the division at 10-6. i think that speaks volumes about the character in that locker room. i think those veterans really appreciate the rookies that have stepped up for them. >> the last time the redskins were even in the playoffs was in 2007. >> robert griffin iii may be the 'skins captain but it's alfred morris who is setting redskins records. he broke clinton portis' record for most rushing yards in a single season. morris didn't feel additional pressure last night despite playing in perhaps the biggest

game of his life. >> really want to just win, we really want to just win as a team. redskins haven't been to the playoffs in kbiet some time. as a rookie to help contribute to our success is an amazing feeling especially coming from where i came from. i'm thankful to be here and i'm thankful we got the win. >> morris was the redskins sixth round draft pick last year. look at him go. and i love that at the end of the game, rg3 gives him a little room to have the crowd cheer him on. >> if you are hoping to snag ticket to next sunday's playoff game, be near a computer at noon today. that's when the tickets go on sale to the general public. the cheapest seats are a little more than $58. including fees. the most expensive, $485. we also checked stub hub and found seats for sale. cheapest tickets there, $132. just a reminder. kickoff next sunday, 4:30 in the

afternoon. developing story out of new york of the we're waiting to learn more about secretary of state hillary clinton's condition this morning. she is in the hospital where doctors are treating her for a blood clot. they discovered it yesterday during a follow-up exam for the concussion she suffered earlier had month. clinton hit her head when she fell while recovering from a stomach virus. doctors are treating her with ant coe ago lantz. >> we're less than 24 hours from the fiscal cliff deadline. congress is inching closer towards a deal. the house will reconvene at 9:00 this morning. the senate will return to capitol hill at 11:00 a.m. talks hit a standstill yesterday after senate republican leader mitch mcconnell proposed social security cuts. democrats rejected the plan. aides say there has been what they call constructive movement on key issues like taxes, including a compromise on where to set higher rates for whether americans -- for wealthier americans and avoiding a jump in

inheritance taxes. meantime, vice president joe biden is taking over at lead negotiator for democrats. >> time left to reach an agreement and we intend to continue negotiations. >> i want everybody to know i'm willing to get this done but i need a dance partner. >> if a deal is not reached by midnight, taxes go up for nine out of ten americans and 2 million people without jobs will not get unemployment insurance starting tomorrow. sharp cuts in defense spending and domestic programs will kick in on january 2nd. if nothing else, it looks like there will be a deal to keep the price of milk from skyrocketing. leaders in both parties have agreed to a one-year extension of the 2008 farm bill that expired in october. the deal will avert a spike in milk prices to as much as $8 a gallon. the plan still has to be put to a vote, though. it will go in the house and the senate sometime today. >> new this morning, al qaeda is

offering a bounty of more than $23,000 to anyone who kills the u.s. ambassador to yemen. the officers posted on a website with ties to the al qaeda branch in yemen. the terrorist group is offering money to anyone who kills an american soldier in yemen. yemen is a u.s. ally however, it's frying -- >> the senate homeland security committee will release a new report criticizing the state department for the u.s. consulate attack in libya. nbc news obtained an advanced copy. in it, it found that bad security allowed militants to essentially walk into the compound. the report criticizes the state department for failing to sufficiently respond to requests for additional security. good morning everyone. 6:07 is the time. right now, people are already gathering in times square and it's cold out there. like 15 to 20 degrees colder than last year. more than a million people are expected to ring in the new year there. a look at the last minute preps

coming up ahead. 2012 is ending on a cold night. we check weather and traffic on the 1s. the major secret spilled about kim kardashianment

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kanye west and kim kardashian are expecting their first child. the rapper made the announcement last night during a concert in atlantic city that his girlfriend is pregnant. she's believed to be about 12 weeks. time right now is 6:11. time to get a check of weather and traffic on the 1s. >> that's right. veronica johnson, how is it looking out there in. >> it's looking cold. all the numbers very low, especially the windchill readings. they're in the 20s right now. your high today, though 46 degrees. that will come around 3:00 or 4:00. by midday, 11:00 a.m., 39. from cold to cool. not a bad day at all. in fact, it's going to be one of the warmest day out of the workweek. could see a sprinkle though, as

we bring in the night 2013. 34 to 39 degrees. let's get another look at traffic with alexis davies. >> breaking news on the roadways. we have that accident northbound at 28. it's a fatal accident involving a tractor-trailer. three right lanes are blocked on the roadway getting by to the left. another accident outbound memorial bridge. all lanes are blocked due to a motorcycle accident on the bridge. erika, richard, back to you. the time is 6:12. coming up, president obama's promise for 2013.

several people are dead after a charter bus skidded off a highway. police say the bus lost control in eastern oregon yesterday crashing through a guardrail and down an embankment. rescue crews had to get down to the victims using ropes. the crash was the second deadliest sdend along the same highway in the same day. the body of a man who opened fire inside a connecticut elementary school was claimed for burial. someone who wishes to remain anonymous claimed the remans of

adam lanza. he killed his mother before going to the elementary school killing 20 first gradersnd six adults. a private funeral was already held for his mother. president obama promised action on gun control. the president pledged change in 2013. >> i'm going to put forward a package and put my full weight behind it. i'm going to be making an argument to the american people about were this is important and why we have to do efg we can to make sure that something like this never happens again. this is something that -- that was the worst day of my presidency. it's not something that i want to see repeated. >> the president says he supports increased background checks and bans on assault weapons and high capacity bullet magazines. a solemn weekend for the town of webster, new york. thousands turned out to say goodbye to two firefighters killed in a christmas eve

ambush. michael chiapperini and tomasz coe zow ka were killed when a  man opened fire on the responding firefighters. two other firefighters were wounded but they are expected to recover. venezuelan president hugo chavez is suffering setbacks from cancer surgery. his vice president says chavez is dealing with new complications. doctors in cuba are treating him for a respiratory infection. no one has seen or heard from chavez since he underwent his fourth cancer surgery three weeks ago. he's been battling pelvic cancer for more than a year and a half. today, hundreds of thousands of people are expected to gather to watch the ball drop in new york city. organizers have been busy making final preparations for the party. millions around the world will watch that celebration in times square. wendy gillette is there live. wendy, how is it looking? >> reporter: good morning,

richard. as you can see, it's still very quiet here in times square. at 48th street. standing next o one of the many barricades set up to control the crowds that show up in a couple of hours. what they'll see this year, the confetti drop in times square. 2,000 pounds of confetti. a whole lot of it. something i learned this year, didn't know this, after covering the event for a few years. that the confetti is hand-dropped from buildings all throughout times square. it's really magnificent. when it gets going, they made sure it was air ready over the weekend. tested it out. it's all good to go. something that's new this year, 288 new crystal panels on the famous waterford crystal ball that drops down. also a special panel dedicated to the late dick clark this year. a part of him will be here in times square this year. talking about the weather. last year, glorious. it was in the 50s.

just absolutely beautiful. no such luck this year, unfortunately. i've only been out here a couple of hours and i already need my hand warmers. i can't imagine the people out here for 12, 14 hours waiting. you know, it's already cold. just being here a couple of hours. richard? >> wendy, champagne in one hand, hand warmer in the other. happy new year to you. thank you so much. you can celebrate at the first night in alexandria. there's fun for the whole family. more than 100 indoor performances are set to happen. kids can make a kite or decorate some cookies. the night will end with firework, of course. the cost is $20 for the first time bash and the party start at noon. getting around tonight will be easier, metro plans to stay open two hours later. the agency will close at 2:00 a.m. tomorrow. if you are out late for the new year, don't miss your train home, please. both metro rail and buses are running on a regular weekend schedule.

lot of people will be out and about today and tonight. hopefully, they'll have coats with them. we're in for a cool start to the new year. >> when you're popping that bubbly later tonight, have on your mittens and scarves. right, veronica? >> that's right. of course, the mercury going to be dropping off. but all in all today, not a bad day at all where a temperature winds up at about 11:00 a.m. today. that's about where it will be at midnight. we have wind producing lower windchill readings from the actual air temperatures. you folks around bailey's crossroads, 23. fredericksburg at 25 degrees right now. then as far as the day goes, you're going to see high clouds moving in. the next little weather system producing a chance of a sprinkle or flurry late tonight. don't think we'll see flurries around here. you got to go north up around those counties that border maryland to see that. cold air will be moving in

behind it on wednesday. so for today, the morning, 28 to 34. a look at your high temperature. 46 for today. first day of 2013. 42 degrees for a high temperature. then highs only in the mid and upper 30s for the rest of the workweek. alex alexis? >> thank you, veronica. tracking breaking news on the roadways this morning, still dealing with that tractor-trailer accident on northbound 28. three right lanes are still being blocked by the accident. left lanes are hope to traffic. elsewhere, another accident outbound memorial bridge. all lanes are blocked due to a motorcycle crash. 14th street bridge is the alternate for southbound travelers. erika, richard? >> thank you so much. lights out for a one time staple. what's going away at midnight? the miss usa contestant who claims the pageant

the former miss usa contestant who claimed earlier this year that the contest was rigged is speaking out for the first time since a judge ruled

that she had to pay $5 million for her accusations. she represented pennsylvania in the contest. she tells the pittsburgh tribune review that she was shocked the judge ruled against her and she plans to fight it. she also says she didn't know there was a clause in her contract that the miss universe organization owned by donald trump that it says that they've got the right to choose the top five as well as the winner. >> the new year brings the new light bulb laws. starting tomorrow, companies cannot make or import the 75-watt incandescent light bulb in the u.s. retailers can still sell remaining stock in the stores. traditional 60 and 40-watt bulbs will go away in 2014. you can buy incandescent or led bulbs. how many times did i have to say bulbs in that? >> no kidding, right.

a continuing twister for you. ahead, video you have to see to believe. celebrating the redskins and he wasn't on the field. may have taken place in his living room. it's pretty awesome. we've got reaction from the players too on their first division title this century. why speed cameras could be up for debate in maryland. >> your weather and

there he goes. morris to the end zone! >> hail to the division champion redskins. in one night, redskins win their seventh straight, feel a home playoff game and send the cowboys packing. reaction from the team's stars ahead. i want everyone to know i'm willing to get this done.

i need a dance partner. >> plus, fiscal cliffhanger to avoid tax hikes and spending cuts down to the wire. the last minute push starting in just a few hours. good morning everyone. i'm erika gonzalez. >> i'm richard jordan. aaron and eun are off today. you have a live look at a chilly national harbor this morning. >> meteorologist veronica johnson had to put on a couple layers as she went outside on the storm team 4 weather deck. veronica? >> for sure. this is one of the coldest mornings of not just december, even november. going all the way back to november. there's a light wind out here. it's making it feel even colder. that windchill reading low, i've been out here 5 to 8 minutes and my nose getting a little numb. let's go straight to the maps right now. over the area right now, high clouds. those have been moving in since shortly after midnight. high clouds now. those will thicken up and start to lower late in the day. could even be producing a

sprinkle in the area. we have a 7 miles per hour wind in d.c. it's about 3 to 5 just to the north and south and east of the area. your current readings right now, anywhere -- toward manassas and areas in falls church to 28 in gaithersburg. 26 is what it feels like in fredericksburg. forecast for today. day planner forecast. a cold start. we'll do better by the afternoon. in fact, one of the mildest afternoons of the week coming up. could see a sprinkle. 43 at 5:00 p.m. at midnight, 34 to 38 degrees. that isn't bad for a midnight temperature. alexis, how are the roads? >> veronica, we have good news for you this morning. tracking breaking news on the roadways. the fatal accident at northbound 28 involving a tractor-trailer, that traffic -- that accident has now been cleared. all lanes have been opened. it's been moved to the shoulder. as you can see from the video,

they've zoomed out a little bit for us. the lanes on 66 eastbound due to the accident, just a rubber necking going on there. elsewhere, accident at memorial bridge, all lanes blocked teu it a motorcycle accident. the alternate is the 14th street bridge. elsewhere on the roadways, 95 is looking good up to the beltway from quantico. looking at live view here from the fairfax county parkway, the northbound lanes are on your right. you have a 26-minute drive time from quantico to the beltway. thank you, alexis. redskins fans are probably tired but excited this morning. the 'skins are going back to the playoffs. the burgundy and gold clinch the nfc east title by beating the rival cowboys 28-18 last night. robert griffin iii might be the most high-profile rookie on the team, but the 'skins other rookie sensation, running back alfred morris. he was the star last night. he rushed for 200 yards and scored three touchdowns for the win. >> to win as many games as we have, that means a lot to the

people who aren't playing at the pro bowl level. i separated him in the locker room and said of all the guys, guys separating himself today from the rest of the pack, that was alfred. >> the last time the redskins lost was on november 4th. that was two days before election day. news 4's megan mcgrath has been talking to fans all morning. she's live in green belt. good morning, megan. >> reporter: good morning, richard. a lot of excited fans here at this metro station. you got to consider that this season did not get off to the greatest start. but then the redskins started to turn things around and then yesterday they won their seventh in a row clinching the nfc east title. the first time since 1999. of course, making it all the sweeter is that this victory was over arch-rival dallas. talking to folks at the green belt metro station, you can imagine they're over the moon and they have high expectations. >> i thought it was a great game. i was a little bit surprised rg3 didn't seem as mobile as he normally was.

morris had 200-yard day. it was a great day for a great rookie. >> i love it. rg3 is phenomenal. he's phenomenal. he was the missing piece in -- more than the missing piece. he was just great. >> it was a fantastic game last night. morris did his thing. rg3 did his thing. >> extremely well, yeah. definitely they will win the super bowl. i wish them all the best. >> and there are a lot of fans wishing them all the best and hoping for a super bowl trophy here in washington. what's up next? the redskins are going to take on the seahawks. that game is at fedex field on sunday. you can imagine there's going to be a lot of interest, a lot of excited people. some big tailgating parties going on. fans here hoping that the 'skins can take it call the way. megan mcgrath, news 4. richard, back to you. >> robert griffin iii may not have had one of his best performances last night. but that doesn't seem to be bothering him. we'll have hisatake on the game a little later this hour.

tiffany alston was having financial issues before being stripped of her seat. the washington post reports that she filed for bankruptcy seven months before trying to use campaign money to pay for her wedding. she charged tens of thousands of dollars to a law firm. a jury found her guilty of misdemeanor theft in june for paying a law firm employee $800 in state money. breaking news right now. iraq is on high alert for terrorist attacks as thousands of shiite pilgrims continue to march across the country. the pilgrims are on the way to celebrate at the end of a 40-day mourning period marking the death of prophet mohammed's grandson. they have staged attacks during this religious festival. so far police say a car bomb killed at least three people and wounded 21 others. family, friends and former classmates are remembering a football player murdered in

fairfax county. last night, dozens gathered for a vigil at battlefield high school in hay market in memory of 19-year-old xavier stringfellow. he was a sophomore at college in virginia. played on the football team too. police found him stabbed to death in a van in vienna friday night. his girlfriend is trying to cope with the loss. >> how could this happen? it's unbelievable. i'm floored. i don't know what to do. how do you take the next day and the next. >> police arrested 22-year-old johnny bonilla of gainesville. the two didn't know each other, but arranged a meeting. no word on a motive in the case. the time right now is 6:36. the "today" show is coming up next at 7:00. let's check in with willie geist to see what they're working on this morning. >> richard, good to see you. on a busy morning on "today," more on the health scare for hillary clinton, the secretary of state in the hospital this morning after doctors discovered

a blood clot. we'll have the latest. >> also ahead, we're live on capitol hill where you are with the last minute wrangling over the fiscal cliff. just a few hours left. can lawmakers reach a deal? >> then on a much different note, kanye west surprises concert-goers last night announces he is having a baby with kim kardashian. we'll have the details and reaction from kim's family. from party ideas to the hottest trends in music and movies, everything you need to get set for 2013 which comes tonight. all that and more when we get started on new year's eve monday morning here on "today." you guys got off to a good start with that redskins game last night. >> i'm a giants fan. we'll be watching you in the playoffs. >> we'll see how it goes. don't get too confident. thanks a lot. we'll see you later. >> time right now is 6:37. why this year at the stroke of midnight, means major changes for local couples.

the redskins are riding high this morning. hear from the rookie that ran into the record books. also for some local drivers, ringing in the new year means reaching a little deeper into your wallet. a big chill to end 2012. weather and traffic on the 1s. an icy rescue caught on tape. [ whistling ] come on, kid. i'm drew brees. and i'm harry. who? from one direction. platinum album. dudes. won the super bowl. on the cover. mvp.

oh, yeah? [ girls screaming ] yeah. [ crowd cheering ] if you give him the pepsi, you can be in the band. really? ♪ and never, never, never stop for anyone ♪ ♪ tonight let's get some ♪ and live while we're young ♪

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take a look at this. several people try to rescue a man who fell into a frozen lake in san bernardino county on christmas day. the man was sledding down a hill when he fell through the thin ice. one after the other. six of the would-be rescuers fall into the freezing water themselves. >> it just turned it into a total disaster, just panic. people falling in. people trying to save him, then trying to save themselves. >> fortunately, everyone made it out safely. no serious injuries reported. what a tale.

>> that's scary stuff. >> absolutely. >> time to get a check of weather and traffic on the 1s. as we take a look at the temperatures, not just here but throughout the eastern half of the country. throughout the nation. certainly coldest here. most locations throughout the east. it's 25 degrees in raleigh, north carolina. but 34 in atlanta. we've got a temperature of 30 degrees here. wanted to show you that national temperatures because eve got temps that are in the teens and low 20s up to the northern tire states. this is some cold funneling in starting on wednesday of this week. our highs will stay well under 40 degrees. where we are now -- currently over in green belt, maryland. college park at 8:00 a.m. your temps 43 degrees. 40 by noontime. most locations in the low and mid 40s with more cloud cover moving in. your midnight temperature 38

degrees. that's about where we are going to be at about late morning, just with clouds and maybe even a sprinkle around the area. your four-day forecast, more sprinkles, maybe even a flurry or two northward tomorrow. with a high of 42ment then again, highs in the 30s. let's get another look at first 4 traffic. >> thank you, veronica. looking at the roadways right now, we still have that accident outbound memorial bridge. all of the lanes are blocked due to a motorcycle crash. we have an alternate route for you. 14th street bridge for those in the southbound direction. elsewhere on the roadways, taking a look at the beltway through prince george's county. no incidents or delays reported. here's a live look at the beltway at route 50 looking at a ten-minute ride from route 50 to 95 on the outer loop of the pelt way. richard? >> alexis, fairfax county police are investigating a deadly crash. this is video into the newsroom. a tractor-trailer truck and a car collided along sully road near route 66 west just before

2:00 this morning. the driver in the car died, police have not released any information about the victims or what might have caused the crash. moments ago, police opened up the road and traffic is now moving again. changes could be on the way for maryland's speed camera laws. state lawmakers plan on looking closely at the law during the upcoming general assembly. they expect to tweak the state law, which allows local governments to install the cameras. this comes as baltimore's speed camera program comes under intense scrutiny. its cameras have been found to be issuing tickets that number one, aren't even speeding or some of them that are even stopped at red lights. >> we are following a developing story this morning. secretary of state hillary clinton will remain in a new york hospital today so doctors can treat her for a blood clot. they discovered the clot yesterday during a follow-up exam for the concussion she suffered earlier this month. her spokesman will not elaborate on her condition but doctors are treating her with anticoagulants.

clinton was supposed to return to work this week before the blood clot was discovered. the homeland security committee will release a new report criticizing the state department for its response on the benghazi libya attack. nbc news retained an advanced copy. faulty security allowed militants to essentially walk into the compound. the report criticizes the state department for failing to sufficiently respond to requests for additional security. new this morning, al qaeda's offering a bounty of more than $23,000 for anyone who kills the u.s. ambassador to yemen. ties to the al qaeda branch in that country. the terrorist group is also offering money for anyone who kills an american soldier in yemen. yemen is a u.s. ally but is struggling to unify the army and establish order. we're 23 hours away from hitting that so-called fiscal cliff. despite last minute efforts over the weekend, still no deal to avoid tax hikes and spending

cuts. the house will reconvene at 9:00 this morning. the senate will return to capitol hill at 11:00 a.m. talks hit a standstill after senate republican leader mitch mcconnell proposed social security cuts. democrats rejected the plan. vice president joe biden is taking over as lead negotiator for the democrats. meet the press, president obama blamed republicans. >> they say that the biggest priority is making sure that we deal with the deficit in a serious way. the way they're behaving is that their only priority is making sure that tax breaks for the wealthiest americans are protected. >> if a deal is not reached by midnight tonight, taxes go up for nine out of ten americans and 2 million people without jobs will not get unemployment insurance starting tomorrow. sharp cuts in defense spending and programs will kick in onnian 2nd. even if lawmakers cannot strike a deal, there will not be panic in the dairy aisle. there is a deal in place to make sure that milk prices do not

skyrocket. cnbc's hampton pearson is live with more. >> how are you doing, erika. picking up on what you were talking about, congress may be having trouble avoiding the fiscal cliff. but they might be able to skirt the dairy cliff. the u.s. farm bill could keep milk prices from surging next year. it would keep a subsidy from coming back to life when the current farm bill expires today. under a 1949 law, the usda would be forced to buy milk at prices well above what farmers are getting now as the subsidies provide. that could push prices up to twice the national average of $3.12 a gallon. meanwhile, several big banks have reportedly close to a $10 billion settlement with the regulators to end the government's efforts to hold them liable nor bad foreclosure practices. "the new york times" reports nearly 40% of the settlement would dw to people who already lost their homes. in february, five banks agreed to a $25 billion settlement. the times says 14 are involved in this round of talks as well.

as part of the deal, which could come this week, the banks will have to hire independent consultants to go through those loan records. >> back over to you and happy new year to everybody. >> happy new year to you. hampton pearson, thank you so much. while you are planning your new year's eve celebrations, people across the world are already celebrating. >> the world's first major city to see midnight. auckland, new zealand is celebrating 2013. they brought in the new year with a bang a few minutes ago at 6:00 a.m. our time. next up, australia. which rings in 2013 at 8:00 our time. a new york city more than a million people will gather at times square to watch the ball drop. there's 28 new waterford crystals. they create more than a ton of confetti. each with words written on them. as for security, thousands of police officers, canine units and counterterrorism teams will also be on hand.

>> 2, 1, happy new year! >> organizers lit and dropped the 12,000-pound ball yesterday. everything works properly. you can see the ball drop on nbc's new year's eve with carson daly here on nbc4 beginning at 10:00 tonight. carson will ring in 2013 from times square. getting around our region tonight will be a little easier. metro plans to stay open two hours later. good for a lot of folks traveling. the agency will close at 2:00 in the morning tomorrow. if you're out late for the new year, don't miss your train home. both metro rail and buses are running on a regular weekday schedule. >> after midnight, you might also hear wedding bells. same sex couples in maryland can legally get married. marylanders approved marriage equality in the november election. the new law goes into effect at the stroke of midnight. some couples plan to tie the knot right away.

at least one couple plans to say "i do" at 12:01. paying $2.25 on the dulles toll road. you didn't like it that much. but there's a 50 cent hike at midnight. that hike will help pay for construction of metro's new silver line. if you take the toll road each day to work, you wind up paying at least $260 more a year. rates will jump to another 75 cents totaling $350 next year. the national archives is commemorating the 150th anniversary of one of the country's most important document. the emancipation proclamation went on display yesterday at the archives. president lincoln issued it during the civil war. it freed all slaves. historians consider it a steppingstone to ratification of the 13th amendment which outlawed slavery. it will be on display until tomorrow. i had friends that were out there yesterday afternoon. said you want to get a glimpse of it. it's only here until tomorrow.

the 1st. so three days. they stood in line for four hours. >> it was well worth it? >> well worth it to see an amazing piece of history. but four hours in heels nonetheless. >> exactly. >> you can't see it without your heels on. >> need to go in flats or boots or whatever you want. it's cold out there. >> right. as folks are going to be all dressed up tonight, well, you'll want to bundle up. at midnight, it's actually going to be warmer than it is right now. here's what's going on. we've got clouds moving into our area. by the time we get to midnight, we could even see a sprinkle. a weak weather system approaches the area. areas around tennessee with light precipitation right now. but a lot of cloud cover moving eastward. temperatures currently 27 degrees. leesburg at 21. warrenton and culpeper, 32 degrees. currently over in green belt. around largo. in the windchill readings,

they're running from 5, 6, 7 degrees lower than the actual air temperature. right now, feeling like we're in the low 20s across the area. we will see light winds today and, again, more of this moving in. a big old batch of moisture with rain to the north and -- rain to the south and snow to the north. little bit of snow may skirt south of chicago, illinois today. approach areas of cincinnati with maybe rain and snow mix. for us, not much at all. only about a tenth of an inch of precipitation. mainly the form of sprinkles. can't rule out a flurry for the early part of the day tomorrow. watch it move in on future weather. today, partly sunny to mostly cloudy. here's the sprinkles and flurries. that's the white up north along the maryland/pennsylvania border. even at midnight, the sprinkles could come through. same deal for tomorrow as this weather system continues to push eastward. this morning, cold, 28 to 34. sunrise today at 7:27. your afternoon not too cold.

41 to 46 degrees. in fact the warmest day out of the workweek will be today. then by the evening, 36 to 40. we'll start dropping off. we're not going to drop in a hurry. around midnight, 1:00, 2:00, 3:00 a.m. we'll still have temperatures that will be in the 30s. mid and upper 30s across the area. winds will be fairly light. we'll see that weather system come in on tuesday. may get breezy on wednesday. it's the mid part, and the end part of the workweek that really gets cold. your high on wednesday, 36. 38 for thursday. friday's high 39 degrees right now. again, with some cloud cover around at the end of the workweek. a bit of a pattern change for us this weekend. right now looking dry with a high of 42 to 43. let's get another look at first 4 traffic right now. >> thank you veronica. we're still dealing with that accident on the outbound memorial bridge where all lanes are blocked due to a motorcycle crash. we have an at nat route for you. 14th street bridge in the

southbound direction. taking a look at local roads. let's look at the whole map. things are looking good in either direction on the outer end. looking very good. taking a look now at the local roads. this is u.s. 29 at lockwood drive. the southbound lanes are on your right. the taillights there. also, central avenue, lookeding good. the westbound lanes on the right side. alexis thanks. the redskins beat the hated dallas cowboys 28-18 to clinch. the nfc east. alfred morris was the star. he rushed for 200 yards and three touchdowns. robert griffin iii rushed for a touchdown as well. the winning streak shows how dedicated the team is to winning. this is a special year for us. we went out and we were 3-6 and won the division at 10-6. that speaks volume about the character in that locker room. i think the veterans really appreciate the rookies that have stepped up for them.

>> the redskins have not lost a game since rg3 was named team captain. a lot of the 'skins success can be attributed to another rookie, alfred morris. the team's sixth round draft pick broke portis' record. despite the accolades, he's happy the burgundy and gold have won. >> really wanted to win, we really just wanted o win as a team. redskins haven't been to the playoffs in quite some time. as a rookie to help contribute to success is an amazing feeling. especially coming from where i came from. i'm thankful to be here and thankful we got the win. >> morris finished the season with more than 1600 rushing yards. >> if you are hoping to snag tickets to next sunday's playoff game, get near a computer at noon today. that's when tickets go on sale to the general public. the cheapest seats are $58. the most expensive are more than

$485. we also checked on stub hub and found seats for sale there. the cheapest ticket we found was at $132. just a reminder, the kickoff next sunday is set for 4:30. the redskins will be playing the seahawks. one of the league's hottest team. they're 11-5 this season. one game better than the 'skins. their rookie quarterback, russell wilson tied the record for most passing touchdowns by a rookie. they have one of the top ranked defenses in the nfl. now, it is perfectly normal to be excited about the 'skins big win last night. >> lot of crazy tweets and pictures and so forth. but some fans thought they'd take it that extra step, get a little too excited and took it way too far. [ screaming ] >> this guy decided last night that it would be funny or a smart idea to dispose of his

christmas tree in the best way he thought. he didn't take it out to the woods. he jumped right into it as part of the redskins celebration. just imagine what he would do if the burgundy and gold went on to the super bowl. >> he probably made a bigger mess. >> i'm wondering if he's married. his wife i'm sure made him clean it up. >> good luck with that one. >> not going to be easy to get those lights out and the ornaments out. that's going to do it for news4 today. thanks for starting your day with us. >> the "today" show is next. we'll be back with news, weather and traffic and any breaking news. have a fantastic day. and happy new year.

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